First Choice - Theirs not ours

Greenstuff_2

We booked a holiday with First choice last year for this August as we needed an exact location, date etc., and paid £390 deposit for a 2 week all inclusive holiday to Menorca costing well over £2000.
It is the first time we have booked our exact choice of holiday, usually compromising to get the cheapest, so we were really excited.
This morning we got a letter from them saying that our flight had been cancelled as it was costing them too much, and we could either have a different flight that suited them (but not us), or we could book an alternative holiday and pay more.
We phoned them and said the alternatives they offered do not suit us so we will just have our deposit back but they have refused, saying that if we dont accept their alternative we have to cancel our holiday and will loose our deposit.
Not only that, to book the same holiday this late in the day is going to cost us more - that's if we can get it, where as when we booked there were plenty available, we chose them as the flight times suited us.
I expected a lot more from a well known company and am so annoyed that I have a fight on my hands to get my money back and theres no guarantee that I'm going to get it, but am more annoyed that the first time ever that I have been able to get the holiday of my choice they have ruined it. GRRRRR

littlereddevil

Tell them you are not cancelling the holiday THEY ARE

stugib

The whole travel industry is corrupt IMHO - what other industry would get away with changing their prices for the same product on a daily/hourly basis, changing what you'd agreed to buy to maximize their own profits, selling more than they had available in the hope some people wouldn't turn up to 'collect' it, etc etc?

Greenstuff_2

Yep, said that, fell on deaf ears.

carrie483

The flight they have offered, is it a completely different day/time?

I know its not much help but check out http://www.apollotravel.co.uk/ they offer a percentage off normal holiday agents and the offer different flights as well.

I always go throught these as they offer brilliant customer service and prices.

Carrie

steventa

You need to read the terms and conditions in the back of their brochure, they should detail what changes they can make to your holiday without offering a full refund.

Anniek1969

Why don't you contact ABTA and see if they are within their rights to withold your deposit if the alternatives don't suit you.

Greenstuff_2

Update.
I have finally got my money back! Not without a fight mind you, I went to ABTA who basically said I didn't have a leg to stand on, thanks very much, but trading standards were very helpful.
They said to go through their terms and conditions, which was easier said than done, I had to go through a fictional booking to get to them as they are not displayed anywhere.
TS told me lots of arguments I could use.
Edited version was that they changed our flights to within 20 minutes of it being classed as a major change, so it was classed as a minor one, but basically it wasn't worded specifically so I did have an argument of sorts, but I spent hours going through the terms and conditions, phoning etc., had my argument and was ready to take it further, (I was not going to let them keep my £390), phoned them up, demanded to speak to a supervisor, the operator asked what it was about, when I told her she just agreed to refund me there and then!
Bearing in mind I spend just under an hour arguing with them this morning and they refused to budge, throwing the usual policy arguments at me.
I am delighted that I have my money back but still fuming that I now have to look for another holiday, and at the way they treated me.
I had narrowed it down to 2 when I booked this (8th Sept 2005) and it was all done and dusted.
I'm more annoyed that arguably the flights being cancelled couldnt be helped, but they could have simply refunded me when I phoned this morning, accepting that that wasnt what I booked, but instead I have spent all day sorting this out.
This is actually the third time this sort of thing has happened recently, I had an argument with Sainsburys bank, phoned back got someone else who did what I asked straight away, after I'd spent the morning going through terms and conditions.
I also had a right rude cashier in Abbey who refused to accept a cheque as it was made out to myself and my Husband, that was fair enough but she actually shook her head and tutted when I said I didn't want a joint bank account.
I left and came back to ask something else, got a different cashier who said she would just accept it.
Maybe a lesson from this is if you don't get what you want straight away, firstly just try someone else.
Anyway, i've got my deposit back which is good, but i've wasted almost a day and now have to start again looking for a holiday.
Thanks Carrie, i will start with the website you reccomended.

Anniek1969

Glad you got that sorted. What's the point in ABTA if they always back the travel company, I thought they were there to make sure they play by the rules but obviously not.

carrie483

To be fair to ABTA, we went holiday to Antigua last year and we were meant to get a certain amount of chips for the casino per night, when we got there they refused, they said it was an old brochure (even though the travel agent said it was still on) so we complained to ABTA and we got a refund of all the chips which we should have got (being that 6 people went, it amounted to a fair few ££££'s )